Thanks For Giving
by JandJFan92
Summary: A one shot based on what Thanksgiving would be like for the boys with Dean only having less than a year left. Hurt!Sam and Protective!Dean. Not a death fic. R&R.


A/N: Just something I wrote last year around Thanksgiving. Please R&R!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sam or Dean.

Thanks For Giving

"Dean, where are we going?" Sam asked as Dean drove in to a town in the opposite direction from the new hunt. "You'll see." He answered as he pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot. "Why are we at Wal-Mart?" Sam asked. "Do you always have to ask so many questions Sam? Honestly, I mean can't you just follow me without question or protest for once?" Dean questioned. Sam sighed and nodded, he felt guilty for giving his brother a hard time, but he just wanted to know, that's all.

"Dean, I--"

"--Stop, I don't want an apology." Dean answered as they got out of the car. Dean finally noticed how dark it was outside as they walked into Wal-Mart. As they made their way inside, Dean started to rethink his idea. "Sam?"

"Yeah, Dean?"

"How hard is it to cook a Turkey?" Dean questioned. "Um, I don't know, why---" As Sam spoke, he realized why. "Dean, we don't need a turkey."

"Why not? It'll be like when we were kids again!" Dean enthused. "Dean, I hate to burst your bubble, but the holidays were not my favorite days. Besides, we don't need a turkey." Sam answered. "Well I want Thanksgiving, it's my last, and I want to enjoy it."

Sam frowned, "No it won't." He said quickly, he still didn't like the thought that Dean would leave him in half a year only to go to hell for him. He felt guilty, and still hadn't found an out for Dean yet, which for Sam was another reason to feel even more guilty.

Dean turned to him. "Huh?"

"It won't be your last, I promise." Dean rolled his eyes, frustrated. "Sam, not now, not in public." Dean instructed. "If not now, when Dean? We never talk, about anything! We need to talk about you, we need to start worrying about you, and you just don't care, Dean, you just don't give a crap about your life, but God forbid something happen to me, then you start caring." Sam ranted as he raised his voice. Dean glared at him, knowing Sam was right, but he was still angry. "Sam, keep acting like this and we'll turn around and go back to the hotel, is that what you want?" Dean questioned. Sam could see the fire in his brother's eyes, how angry Dean was, but he was just as angry. "Yes." Sam grunted. "I hope you're happy." Dean grumbled.

The Winchester boys left Wal-Mart without a single item. They made their way back to the impala, and Dean stopped, when he heard a thug shout: "Give me your money!" Dean instantly drew his gun and spun on his heel, now facing the thug, who also had a gun drawn, which was pointed at Sam. "I suggest you point that thing somewhere else." Dean hissed. "Give me the money, now!" The thug reiterated. "No." Sam calmly answered, and charged at the thug. They fought, and the thug's gun went off. "SAM!" Dean yelled at the top of his lungs as he watched his brother drop to his knees. Dean watched as a million things raced through his mind, as the scene of Sam's death raced through his mind. Dean then ruthlessly fired his gun several times, killing the thug.

Dean raced to his brother's aide, regretting the Wal-Mart scene, and every nasty comment he ever uttered to his baby brother, whose life now laid on the line. He helped Sam up and into the impala. As Dean drove chaotically to the hospital, he kept glancing over to Sam, worrying. "Sam?" Dean called out. Sam moaned in pain. "Hey, stay with me Sammy, stay with me!" Dean said to Sam as he kept glancing back and forth between Sam and the road. They finally got to a hospital, and Dean rushed Sam inside. Doctors and nurses immediately took Sam and placed him onto a gurney, rolling him into the O.R. for surgery. Dean waited impatiently in the waiting room, pacing. Dean's phone began to ring. "Hello?" Dean questioned, he hadn't looked at the caller I.D. before he answered.

"Dean? It's Bobby, you boys alright? I heard there was a shooting by you."

"No, Sam got caught in the middle of it, he's in surgery." Dean answered, his lip began to tremble as he began to think the worst. "Dean, I'm--"

"--Don't, don't say you're sorry because he's gonna be just fine, you hear me?" Dean said, his voice shaking. He just couldn't hide it anymore. "Tell you what, I'm gonna come over there because I can tell you need someone there, and don't tell me otherwise, okay?" Dean nodded. "Okay." He answered.

An hour passed, and Sam was still in surgery. Dean turned and saw Bobby walk in. Dean met him halfway and hugged Bobby, tears welling in his eyes. The elder Winchester brother had always been a master at masking his emotions, but he just couldn't mask it up anymore, he just couldn't. Bobby was shocked at first, Dean was never one for hugs; however, Bobby understood, and hugged Dean back. "I can't do this Bobby, he's been in there for hours, and I don't know..." Dean rambled. Bobby broke from the hug, and looked at Dean. "Look at me, don't you dare say that, not now. You're the one who's always been there for Sam, don't give up and turn your back on him now, not after all you two have been through. Sam needs you the most right now, and he's gonna be just fine just like you said, you'll see." Bobby reassured. Dean nodded. He turned and saw them pushing Sam into his room. Dean left and followed them.

Once everyone left, Dean sat in a chair at Sam's bedside and grabbed his little brother's hand in his. He let out a deep sigh of guilt and remorse. "It's just you, me, and Sam," Dean began to say aloud, "I've never been the praying type, hell, I'm not even sure what I believe anymore, but Sam thinks you do exist; Sam prays. I'll do anything to save him. I'll start praying, I'll start believing again, just spare my little brother's life. He's all I have left, and if he dies...I-I--He just can't." Dean wiped away the tears that had started to well in his eyes, and he started to look at his brother carefully and noticed several bruises scattered across his body, He also noticed that Sam seemed a lot paler than usual. He walked into the hallway, and called for a doctor.

The doctor looked at Sam, inspecting him all over, making an analysis of what was wrong, and what could happen, and how to treat the problem. After looking him over physically, the doctor drew blood so he could run tests. Dean watched carefully, he didn't like the idea of them drawing blood, especially after last time when Sam was supposed to have that virus, Dean really didn't know what to expect. He asked questions often, he didn't like being kept in the dark, especially when it came to Sam.

"Do you know what it is?" Dean questioned as he saw the doctor getting ready to leave. "It's just a guess until we get the test results back, but," There was hesitation in the doctor's voice, "But what?" Dean interrupted. "He could have leukemia." The doctor confessed. Dean froze. "Isn't--Isn't that fatal?" Dean questioned, stunned that his little brother could have a fatal illness. It also pained him because there was nothing he could do about it if it wasn't treatable, if it was something supernatural Dean could just kill it and it would be over, but this, this disease; it was just a way of life. The doctor saw the worry in Dean's eyes. "If we treat him, and catch this early, we can give him a bone marrow transplant, you could even be a match for him." The doctor answered. Dean just simply nodded and absorbed every little detail revealed to him by the doctor. He looked at Sam. "I'm gonna save you, I promise." Dean murmured to himself as the doctor left.

Dean pulled a chair up to Sam's bedside. He sat down in it and started to nod off into slumber, when he saw Sam waking up. "Dean?" Sam questioned, he opened his eyes slowly, and began to look around the room. "Yeah Sam?" Dean answered, he watched his little brother's every move, not wanting to tell him the truth about why they were here, yet knowing he'd have to anyway. "What happened?" Sam questioned groggily. He looked around the room, noticing they were in the hospital, flashbacks of last night played in his head. "You were shot Sam." Dean answered slowly. "Dean? How come we're still here?" Sam questioned. "They think you might be sick." Dean answered softly, he stared at the floor, not wanting to look at Sam. He knew if he looked at his little brother, even for a second, his strong face, and charade would melt away. "With what?" Sam questioned. "It doesn't matter, you're gonna get better, that's all there is to it." Dean answered. "Dean, it does matter, please tell me, what am I sick with?" Sam reiterated.

"Leukemia." Dean answered softly as he hung his head down to his chest in defeat. "Leukemia?!" Sam questioned, shocked. "They're running tests. Even if you do have it, I'll give you some of my bone marrow, since we'll be a match. It'll be okay." Dean answered softly. "Dean, look at me!" Sam said getting agitated; Dean rose his head and looked into his little brother's eyes. "It'll be okay? It'll be okay?" Sam repeated, "It won't be okay, Dean. The doctor didn't tell us for sure we were matches, you don't even know, and you're telling me it'll be okay? It's not gonna be okay Dean, it's not!" Sam said, raising his voice. "Sam, it is, I'm gonna make sure you get better, you have my word on that." Dean answered, trying to reassure Sam. "I don't care about me Dean, I care about you! All you care about, all you think about is making sure I'm okay, I need you to worry about yourself Dean, and until you do that, I'm not going to be okay, sick or not." Sam answered, irate over the whole situation. "I don't care Sam, I'm not letting you die, and that's that." Dean answered. "Dean--" Sam began, "Get over it" Dean interrupted. "Why?" Sam questioned. "Because I'm older and I know what's best." Dean hissed. "Goto sleep, you need your rest." Dean ordered. "Yes sir." Sam mocked.

-----------------------------------A week later---------------------------------------------------------

The tests had come back positive. Dean was in a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, laying on a gurney. They were fixing to draw a bit of Dean's bone marrow to see if he was a match with Sam. Sam was in the room next door, laying in his bed, too weak to get up. He watched through the window as they were preparing to draw the bone marrow. Dean meanwhile was having a panic attack inside his head. He hated needles. He really hated needles. Even though he hated needles, he wouldn't let that prevent him from saving Sam. He was also thinking about what Sam said. What if Sam was right? What if we're not a match? Then what? With all of those thoughts racing in his head, he finally felt the needle pierce his flesh, and he gripped the sides of the gurney and clenched his teeth, trying not to think about the pain, but failing miserably. Sam watched on as he saw his brother's face contorting in pain, Dean looked over to him, and Sam couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop, you're hurting him!" Sam shouted as he walked in the room shakily, and unsteady. He leaned against the wall; he wasn't capable of holding up his bodyweight on his own, not right now at least. "No, not til you get what you need, Sam get back to bed!" Dean shouted as he let out a grunt of pain. The doctors finally got all they needed and pulled out the needle. Dean breathed heavily, and Sam made his way to Dean's side. "Dean--" Sam's body succumbed to fatigue, and he collapsed on the ground, barely getting Dean's name out. "Sam!" Dean shouted, and the doctors and nurses immediately brought Sam back to his bed, and made sure he was stable. A nurse taped a gauze pad to the injection site, and after that, Dean rushed into Sam's room. The nurses brought Dean a cot, and Dean, after making sure Sam was alright, settled down in his bed. The nurses left and the injection spot on Dean started to throb with pain. "Son of a bitch.." Dean murmured as he dozed off.

Sam woke up in a daze, and looked over to his sleeping older brother. He tried to remember what happened only a few hours ago, but nothing took. "Dean?" Sam whispered, he wanted to see if Dean was awake. "Mmm?" Dean moaned as he awoke. Mission accomplished. Dean was always a light sleeper when he knew Sam could be in impending danger. "Dean...." Sam said more panicked then before, he felt like he was getting hotter and hotter and in more pain. Dean noticed immediately, and against his own body's will, got up and fetched a doctor.

"We need to get him a bone marrow transplant now." The doctor emphasized. "Am I a match?" Dean questioned, nobody had been telling him anything since their last incident. The doctor quickly scanned the chart, just to be safe, he nodded. "Let's go then, give him mine!" Dean urged as he rushed the doctors and nurses. "This way." The nurses ushered him as the doctors left and went to prep in the O.R. After the nurses had prepped both Sam and Dean, they were being wheeled down the hallway in wheel chairs towards the operating room.

"Don't worry Sammy, I'm gonna save you." Dean whispered to his little brother. Sam looked over to Dean, sweat dripping down his face. "Dean, I'm scared." Sam whispered back, just as he had when they were kids when he had a nightmare. "Don't be, I'm gonna take care of you, just like I always have; just you and me." Sam nodded nervously, his stomach churning.

Bobby waited outside the operating room that Dean and Sam were in nervously, he knew how dangerous it was for the both of them, but he knew that no matter what, Dean would do anything to insure Sam's safety, even if that meant going under the knife and giving his bone marrow. Bobby sighed. Ever since John's death, and even before then, Dean and Sam were like sons to Bobby. He didn't know what he'd do if something happened to either of them. He turned to see Bela and Ruby walking into the hospital and towards him. "What're you two doin' here?" Bobby questioned, angry that they even showed their faces here. "I was in the neighborhood, thought I'd check up on our 'Hardy Boys'," Bela grinned. "What's going on?" Ruby questioned, unaware of what had been going on.

"Dean is giving some of his bone marrow to save his little brother's life." Bobby answered. "How noble." Ruby commented. Even though she didn't like Dean, she thought what he was doing was very honorable, and she knew then his love for Sam. She also knew that if it came down to it, she'd do the very same thing for him, anything to keep him alive so he could help her. She convinced herself that that was the only reason she had been saving the Winchester's lives, nothing more. "When Sam gets better, tell him to come find me, we need to talk." Ruby answered. "About what?" Bobby hissed. Ruby smirked, "He'll know." She answered, and with that, she left.

After watching them push Dean into the recovery room, Sam shortly behind, Bela left without a word.

It had been a day since the operation, and Sam and Dean were watching a Thanksgiving special. "Dean?" Sam questioned; a few things on his mind. "Yeah?" Dean answered. "Why do you always give me something when I say I don't want it?" Sam questioned. Dean thought for a moment, then answered, "Because I'm older, and I'm gonna do what's best for you whether you like it or not. Besides, sometimes deep down in that troubled heart of yours, you know you really want it." Dean answered.

"Dean?"

"Mm-hm?"

"Thanks for giving."


End file.
